OSHA fines company behind Cuyahoga ship fire,
says ‘fate’ saved crew

ASHTABULA, OH – The company responsible for a commercial iron ore vessel in Ashtabula in March 2024 is facing federal discipline after investigators said the fire that broke out could’ve been prevented by following regulations.

The Cuyahoga, one of Canada’s oldest shipping vessels, caught fire at the Port of Ashtabula while a crew member was using welding equipment to get paint off in the ship’s cargo hold while others were on break below the cargo hold.

Thankfully, nobody was injured in the fire but the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was called in to investigate at the U.S. Coast Guard’s referral.

After investigating, OSHA said South Marine Systems of Westlake, OH, failed to designate a competent person to identify hazards and did not have a marine chemist present to test for hazardous atmospheres before welding started.

OSHA also said the company didn’t stop work on the vessel after small fires broke out that caused hazardous conditions and other risks.

OSHA said South Marine Systems failed at the following:

• Determine the flammability of the preservative coating on the bulkhead before hot work.
• Provide a 1-1/2 inch or larger fire hose with fog nozzle while employees use a welder to remove Amerthane 490 off the bulkhead, which would have protected workers from exposure to fire hazards and asphyxiation.
• Provide workers with a ladder to exit the water if they fall in, to prevent exposing them to hypothermia.
• Develop a fire safety plan.
• Establish an internal and external fire response organization.
• Ensure a Chinese-speaking employee performing hot work activities was able to communicate with a Spanish-speaking employee conducting fire watch, to ensure awareness of potential fire hazards.
• Verify employees received a medical examination to ensure fitness for duties involving fighting fires and using fire extinguishers.
• Provide employees exposed to asphyxiation hazards with a self-contained breathing apparatus.
• Train fire watch employees on the very basic elements of fighting a fire, including extinguishing agents and methods of extinguishing fires.
• Provide OSHA 300 Logs and Summary Form 300As for 2021-2023.

As punishment, South Marine Systems received 15 serious violation citations resulting in over $164,000 in fines with one OSAH official saying the company played no part in the crew avoiding disaster.

“Fate, not South Marine Systems, helped the cargo vessel’s crew avoid disaster. The company’s failure to comply with basic safety requirements for welding operations and working in confined spaces exposed workers to fires, asphyxiation and other dangers,” explained OSHA Area Director Howard Eberts in Cleveland. “South Marine Systems must review its training program and its work operations immediately to make certain everyone on their work crews can recognize hazards and safely respond to emergencies.”

The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transport Safety Board have also opened investigations of their own into the incident.

Fox 8 News

Lake water levels continue to be low: ILSBC

Water levels on Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron continue to be below the seasonal long-term average, and below last year’s level. That’s according to the International Lake Superior Board of Control. The board says the gate setting on the St. Marys River will be maintained at the typical winter gate setting.

Find the full news release from the board below:

The Board expects the total St. Marys River flow in February to be 1,690 m3/s (59,700 cfs), as prescribed by Regulation Plan 2012. Actual hour-to-hour and day-to-day flows may vary depending on hydrologic conditions, as well as variations in flow from the hydropower plants.

The gate setting of the Compensating Works will be maintained at the typical winter gate setting (Gate #1 and Gates #7 through #10 open 20 cm each) equivalent to approximately one-half gate open. Therefore, the average St. Marys Rapids flow in February is expected to be approximately 83 m3/s (2,900 cfs). Gate #1 will remain at its typical setting which supplies a flow of about 15 m3/s (500 cfs) to the channel north of the Fishery Remedial Dike.

Water level changes over the month of January

Water supply conditions were drier than average in both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron basins in January.

Lake Superior declined by 8 cm (3.1 in) last month while the seasonal long-term average pattern is for Lake Superior to decline by 7 cm (2.8 in) in January.

Lake Michigan-Huron declined by 9 cm (3.5 in) last month, while the seasonal long-term average pattern is for Lake Michigan-Huron to decline by 2 cm (0.8 in) in January.

Water levels as of the beginning of February

At the beginning of February, the lake-wide average water level of Lake Superior was 16 cm (6.3 in) below the seasonal long-term average (1918-2023) and 14 cm (5.5 in) below the level of a year ago.

At the beginning of February, the lake-wide average water level of Lake Michigan-Huron was 18 cm (7.1 in) below the seasonal long-term average (1918-2023) and 28 cm (11.0 in) below the level of a year ago.

Forecast outlook

Water level changes based on water supplies over the month of February.

If weather and water supply conditions are near average, Lake Superior may decline by approximately 4 cm (1.6 in.) and Lake Michigan-Huron may decline by approximately 1 cm (0.4 in).

If conditions are much wetter than average, Lake Superior may decline by approximately 1 cm (0.4 in) and Lake Michigan-Huron may rise by approximately 5 cm (2.0 in).

If conditions are much drier than average, the water level of Lake Superior may drop by as much as 8 cm (3.1 in), and Lake Michigan-Huron may decrease by as much as 6 cm (2.4 in).

The International Lake Superior Board of Control is responsible for managing the control works on the St. Marys River and regulating the outflow from Lake Superior into Lake Michigan-Huron. Under any outflow regulation plan, the ability to regulate the flow through the St. Marys River does not mean that full control of the water levels of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan-Huron is possible. This is because the major factors affecting water supply to the Great Lakes (i.e. precipitation, evaporation, and runoff) cannot be controlled, and are difficult to accurately predict. Outflow management cannot eliminate the risk of extreme water levels from occurring during periods of severe weather and water supply conditions. Additional information can be found at the Board’s homepage: https://ijc.org/en/lsbc or on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/InternationalLakeSuperiorBoardOfControl

Soo Today

Port Huron Maritime Center Torn Down

Port Huron, MI – The Great Lakes Maritime Center in Port Huron was demolished Wednesday morning. The Center was closed in 2023 because of low attendance and a decision by the owner to shift gears. The center was privately operated by Acheson Ventures for nearly 20 years, but the property had been listed for sale and will likely be redeveloped.

The Maritime Center was a place to learn about Great Lakes history, watch boats, and relax. It had a nautical museum, a riverwalk, a farmers’ market, a snack bar, and a coffee shop. It hosted many Great Lakes-themed presentations, including an annual book release signing for Know Your Ships and a fall Authorama book and artist event. For several years it was the real-world home of boatnerd3.jasonbowlerdesign.com/ and its representative, "Freighter" Frank Frisk.

Since the announcement in late 2023 that center was closing, many of the maritime artifacts that had been on display there found a new home at the Port Huron Museums.

While some groups, such as the Great Lakes Nautical Society, which had model ships at the center, took back their own items, Mike Delong, vice president of operations at Acheson Ventures, which owns the Maritime Center and surrounding Vantage Point site, confirmed earlier this year that many of the items displayed there had been taken in by the museum after they announced closure of the facility in late 2023.

Port Huron philanthropist Jim Acheson, the Maritime Center’s founder, died in 2023.

Firefighters extinguish fire
on docked Frontenac

Sturgeon Bay, WI – Firefighters from multiple departments in Door County responded to a fire on the bulk carrier Frontenac at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding around noon Tuesday.

The fire reportedly occurred while cleaning the dust container onboard the ship.  Not much smoke was visible from outside of the scene, but firefighters had to weave through the ship to get water to the source of the fire, which was contained in about an hour. There were no injuries reported.

According to the Canada Steamship Lines website, the Frontenac was built in 1968 and converted into a self-unloader in 1973.

Frontenac fire has been contained

A fire aboard the Canada Steamship Lines’ motor vessel Frontenac at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, Sturgeon Bay, WI, has been contained. Multiple fire departments responded to the Tuesday early afternoon call. The fire is believed to have started when a subcontractor was cleaning out the dust collector, part of the self-unloading system. There were no injuries reported.

Let’s Go Door County

Duluth sees cargo decline as iron ore volumes drop

Cargo throughput at the Port of Duluth-Superior fell 6.8% in 2024, mainly due to a 10.4% drop in iron ore shipments.

Total cargo throughput at the Port of Duluth-Superior declined by 6.8% in the 2024 navigation season, totaling 26.8m metric tonnes (29.6m short tonnes), down from 28.8m tonnes in 2023 and 27.6m tonnes in 2022.

The decline was primarily driven by reduced iron ore shipments. Taconite volumes fell to 17.6m tonnes from a 28-season high in 2023, representing a 10.4% year-on-year decrease. Despite this, iron ore volumes remained above the five-season average.

Despite the overall decline, the port recorded several successes. Maritime import and export tonnage rose nearly 15% year-on-year, fueled by a 31% surge in exports. Spring wheat exports more than tripled, driving waterborne grain shipments to nearly 720,000 tonnes—the highest level since 2021 following a strong fourth-quarter performance.

Breakbulk cargo through Duluth’s Clure Public Marine Terminal increased by 70% year-on-year, with shipments reaching destinations as far as the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada. Wind energy cargo recorded its highest volume since 2020. Freight volumes handled by Duluth Cargo Connect, spanning maritime, road, and rail transport, exceeded 453,000 tonnes—a 21% increase and the highest total since 2020.

Spliethoff introduced a regular transatlantic liner service between Duluth and the Mediterranean, complementing the Duluth-Antwerp service launched in 2023, the port’s first such regular connection since the 1970s. Limestone shipments exceeded 3m tonnes, the highest since 2019. Low-sulphur coal volumes remained above 5m tonnes, posting a modest year-on-year increase. The port welcomed 58 oceangoing vessels, eight more than the previous season.

Located in Minnesota at the westernmost point of Lake Superior, the Port of Duluth-Superior remains a key hub within the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System.

World Cargo News

Raffle winner for S.S. Alpena trip announced

William Meyers of Traverse City, MI, is the lucky winner of the trip on the steamer Alpena that was being raffled off by the International Shipmasters’ Association. His name was picked during the annual Grand Lodge Convention held this past weekend in Alpena, MI.

U.S. Shipping Companies Invest
$150 Million in Great Lakes Region

CLEVELAND – With winter in full swing, the U.S.-flagged fleet of Lakers have tied up in ports across the Great Lakes region to perform critical maintenance before the navigational locks in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan reopen on March 25th.  Hundreds of skilled shipyard workers will flock to the area to support the nearly $150 million maintenance investment being made on these massive ships.  The state receiving the largest amount of work is Ohio with $51.5 million, followed closely by Wisconsin at $51 million, Pennsylvania at $25 million, Minnesota and Michigan both getting $9 million, and another $3 million will go to facilities in New York and Illinois.

“This level of investment is a testament to the strength of the U.S. shipping industry on the Great Lakes.  Domestically produced steel will be installed on many ships by U.S welders and electronic equipment will be upgraded by American electricians.  It is good for the ships, good for local jobs, and great for the Great Lakes region,” stated Jim Weakley, President of the Lake Carriers Association.

After nine and a half months of continuous operations loading and unloading various bulk cargo, the ships get a short rest period.  Most of the crew that sailed will get a prolonged vacation while engineers and other support staff work over the winter to make sure the vessels are in top shape when the season begins again in March.  Propulsion equipment will be tuned and, in some cases, replaced, steel hull plating and welds will get refreshed, and crew comforts will be added or upgraded.

Since most of the U.S.-flagged fleet of lakers are too large to exit the Great Lakes due to the limiting size of the Seaway locks, they will remain comfortably accommodated at some of the world’s best ship repair facilities right here in Great Lakes states.  Investment in the current Great Lakes ships is an investment in the future of the North American economy and the continued strength of our nation.

Lake Carriers’ Association

Algoma Sault enters winter layup in Port Colborne

Its engine laboring at times, McKeil Marine’s tug John D surged up the Welland Canal Thursday at Lake Erie, its bow rising and crashing through the ice, opening a path on the waterway.

The 21-metre-long work tug left its berth on the west side of the canal wall in Port Colborne, heading down the middle before turning toward Wharf 16 on the east side, just in front of the already docked CSL Thunder Bay.

It was clearing the canal and wall of ice for the incoming 255.55-metre-long Algoma Sault, a self-unloading bulk carrier of St. Catharines-based Algoma Central Corp.’s domestic fleet, on its way for winter layup.

The Algoma vessel headed down the lake from Long Point Bay off Port Dover.

As Algoma Sault sat offshore of the breakwall, the Canadian Coast Guard’s 70-metre-long icebreaker and buoy tender Samuel Risley headed out onto Lake Erie, clearing a path in the canal and passing the cargo vessel before heading east down the lake.

On the Marine Traffic website, the Samuel Risley was later spotted off Buffalo, working with the U.S. Coast Guard’s 42-metre-long icebreaking tug Bristol Bay. By late afternoon, the two were headed west up the lake past Port Colborne.

Along with the Neah Bay, another American icebreaker, the two worked together last week to free Lower Lakes Towing Ltd.’s 202-metre-long Manitoulin from the lake’s icy grip. The bulk carrier became stuck for four days after delivering a load of wheat to the Queen City more than a week ago.

The three vessels freed the cargo ship last Saturday and escorted it 32 kilometres up the lake to open waters off Port Colborne, where it continued on unescorted to meet the 73-metre-long heavy U.S. icebreaker Mackinaw near Pelee Island. The Mackinaw escorted the vessel to Sarnia, at the mouth of the St. Clair River and Lake Huron, for winter layup.

With CSL Thunder Bay just south of it, Algoma Sault is the third cargo vessel to layover in the city for the winter before the canal opens sometime in March.

Also docked in Port Colborne is Algoma Buffalo, north of Main Street Bridge near Wharf 12, and McKeil Marine barge-pushing tug Sharon M I.

Welland Tribune

Vezhen Operator Claims Proof
Subsea Cable Damage Was Accidental

Bulgarian shipping company Navibulgar has released images of the anchoring system aboard the bulker Vezhen, which has been boarded and detained on suspicion of dragging its anchor and damaging a subsea cable between Gotland and Latvia last weekend. According to Navibulgar CEO Capt. Alexander Kalchev, the photos show that the chain stopper failed in a gradual way that allowed the chain to “leak” out slowly under tension, without a runaway.

The Vezhen was seized by Sweden on Sunday on suspicion of aggravated sabotage after a cable outage between Gotland and Latvia. Sweden’s coast guard intercepted the vessel as soon as the cable breach was identified, and a police boarding team deployed to the ship by military helicopter. The crew agreed to divert to Swedish territorial seas, where the ship was detained. A senior Swedish prosecutor and a senior police official have both declined questions about whether the diversion was voluntary.

Navibulgar’s Kalchev insists that the incident was an accident, and has opened an internal investigation. He told Bulgarian business outlet Economic that as Vezhen approached Gotland on Saturday, weather conditions were rough, with waves of 10 feet and winds of 40 knots. Surveillance footage from the bridge shows that the Vezhen’s bow took a pounding. In these conditions, the wave action worked the port anchor back and forth until the wire stopper on the chain failed, he said. After that, all the weight of the chain and anchor hung on the guillotine stopper. The stopper failed gradually under tension, letting a few links slip underneath the bar at a time, he said.

“[The guillotine stopper] bore the blows of every wave that crashed into the axis of the ship, which little by little led to its wear and tear and the gradual ‘leakage’ of the chain into the sea,” explained Kalchev. He said that such incidents had happened before, but never causing subsea cable damage. (Guillotine stopper failures have been reported previously in the near-miss literature.)

According to Kalchev, the wear on the stopper bar proved that the anchor drop was accidental, even if expensive and politically ill-timed. “There is no way to calculate at what point the wire and guillotine would give way and drop the anchor at the exact moment when the ship is next to the cable in order to deliberately cause an incident,” he said.

For now, the ship’s crew have been neither detained nor questioned, Kalchev said. “The investigation is probably ongoing, but there are no investigators on board the ship and no interviews have been conducted with the crew,” he told the outlet.

The Maritime Executive

Welland Canal gates replaced

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation recently completed a major gate replacement project at Lock 7 on the Welland Canal.

SLSMC teams worked closely with Ontario-based contractors and suppliers to restore two original 80-foot, 1 million-pound gates that were stored underwater near Lock 1 since the 1930s. Over several days, crews, with the help of tug-assisted barge cranes, swapped out the old gates for pair of newly refurbished gates.

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation

Great Lakes Oil Spill Center announces project funding

CLEVELAND – The U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise, located in
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, announced its project funding for Fiscal Year 2025, Jan. 15, 2025.
The nine projects will advance oil spill detection, response and mitigation strategies tailored to
meet the challenges of the Great Lakes region.

“The Great Lakes Oil Spill Center of Expertise is dedicated to enhancing oil spill preparedness,
response, and research in the Great Lakes,” said U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Christopher Pace.
“These projects represent a significant step forward in addressing the unique environmental and
logistical challenges of oil spill preparedness and response in the Great Lakes.”

Funded projects include:

1. High-frequency Electromagnetic Interference for oil detection in freshwater ice
   conditions: Experimental Study
   Exploring advanced electromagnetic interference technologies for oil spill detection in
   icy freshwater conditions.
   Awarded Partner: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Research and Development Center

2. Additive manufacturing of drum-skimmer surface geometries, optimized for the
   Great Lakes region
   Leveraging 3D printing to enhance the efficiency of oil skimmers tailored to the region’s
   needs.
   Awarded Partner: Deep Analytics, LLC

3. Preparing for non-conventional product incidents in the Great Lakes – Workshop
   Hosting a specialized workshop to prepare for unconventional spill scenarios in the
   region.
   Awarded Partner: NOAA Office of Response and Restoration

4. Characterizing the properties and fate of synthetic fluids under varying
   environmental conditions
   Investigating the environmental impact of synthetic fluids from wind energy systems.
   Awarded Partner: U.S. Coast Guard Academy

5. Physicochemical changes of oil during weathering processes in freshwater wetland
   mesocosms
   Studying oil weathering to improve understanding of its long-term effects in freshwater
   wetlands.
   Awarded Partner: Lake Superior State University

6. Generating toxicology data to improve freshwater oil spill effect models under
   different environmental conditions
   Providing new data to enhance predictive models of oil spill toxicity in freshwater
   environments.
   Awarded Partner: Huntsman Marine Science Centre

7. Biological responses to oil spills using Omics to assess kinetic exposures in streams
   Utilizing cutting-edge molecular biology techniques to evaluate ecological impacts of oil
   spills.
   Awarded Partner: International Institute for Sustainable Development

8. Identifying the year-round magnitude, frequency, and extent of flow reversals in
   Great Lakes’ river-to-lake transitions
   Mapping flow dynamics to predict and mitigate the spread of oil during spill events.
   Awarded Partner: U.S. Geological Survey

9. Uncrewed detection of submerged oil using UV fluorometry – Phase 2
   Developing uncrewed systems for enhanced underwater oil detection.
   Awarded Partner: Michigan Tech Research Institute – Ann Arbor

To track the progress of the projects and for information for information on future funding opportunities visit https://www.dco.uscg.mil/GLCOE/.

Great Lakes visitor Vezhen seized, suspected of sabotaging cable

Swedish authorities have seized a ship suspected of damaging a data cable running under the Baltic Sea to Latvia. The Vezhen – a Maltese-flagged ship – is now anchored outside the Swedish port of Karlskrona.

Prosecutors said an initial investigation pointed to sabotage. An inquiry has been launched involving Sweden’s police, military and coast guard. Images shared by Swedish media showed that the ship appeared to have a damaged anchor.

However, on Monday, Bulgarian shipping company Navigation Maritime Bulgare, which listed the Vezhen among its fleet, said one of the ship’s anchors dropped to sea floor in high winds and that there was no malicious intent.

Vezhen was built in 2022 and transited the Seaway that year as well as in 2024.

On Sunday, Latvia’s military reported that three ships were seen in the area where the damage occurred.

Less than a month ago, Nato launched a new mission in the Baltic Sea in response to repeated attacks on underwater power and telecom cables – some of which have been blamed on Russia.

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina said her country was working closely with Sweden and Nato in response to the incident. The cable belongs to Latvia’s state broadcaster, LVRTC, which said in a statement there had been “disruptions in data transmission services”, but that end users would be mostly unaffected.

Earlier this month, Nato launched its new Baltic Sentry mission, after several cables under the Baltic Sea were damaged or severed in 2024.

Nato chief Mark Rutte said the mission would involve more patrol aircraft, warships and drones.

While Russia was not directly singled out as a culprit in the cable damage, Rutte said Nato would step up its monitoring of Moscow’s “shadow fleet” – ships without clear ownership that are used to carry embargoed oil products.

Rutte said there was “reason for grave concern” over infrastructure damage, adding that Nato would respond to future incidents robustly, with more boarding of suspect vessels and, if necessary, their seizure.

Finnish police said late last year they were investigating whether a Russian ship was involved in the sabotage of an electricity cable running between Finland and Eston

BBC

Free at last! Manitoulin under own power heading |away from Buffalo, following icebreaking vessels

Buffalo, N.Y- Free at last. The 663-foot lake freighter Manitoulin was freed from the growing Lake Erie ice field Saturday after four U.S. Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard vessels led the way in breaking the ice.

“The Manitoulin is underway,” was the marine VHF radio transmission heard shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday, announcing the end of a days-long drama.

Hundreds of onlookers had gathered along the Buffalo waterfront Saturday to witness the icebreaking operation before the breakthrough occurred and the vessel was underway, moving at approximately 7 knots per hour.

She was freed by the combined efforts of the U.S. and Canadian coast guards. U.S. Coast Guard cutters Bristol Bay (WTGB 102) had worked since Thursday. U.S. Coast Guard cutter Neah Bay (WTGB 105), a 140-foot ice-breaking tug homeported in Cleveland, also arrived to assist at 9 a.m. Saturday. A helicopter from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Detroit conducted overflights to monitor the situation. The Canadian Coast Guard Ship Samuel Risley arrived from Windsor, ON. U.S. Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw (WLBB 30), a 240-foot heavy icebreaker from Cheboygan, Michigan, was also enroute. The Great Lakes Towing tug Oklahoma made a run out to the Manitoulin with food.

The Manitoulin became stuck Wednesday upon leaving Buffalo after dropping a load of grain. Ever since, an extensive icebreaking operation has been unfolding.

There are 17 crewmembers aboard the vessel and there was never any concern for their safety or for a lack of supplies.

WBEN

Efforts continue to move Manitoulin,
stuck in ice off Buffalo

Buffalo, NY ­– Icebreaking efforts were underway to free the freighter Manitoulin from the ice of Lake Erie near Buffalo, NY, on Friday morning, but were unsuccessful. Another attempt will be made Saturday with additional icebreaking assets.

The Bristol Bay, a U.S. Coast Guard cutter from Detroit, which headed Thursday toward Buffalo, New York, was working to free the vessel. On Friday night, the CCGS icebreaker Samuel Risley was headed toward Buffalo to lend a hand, as was the USCG Neah Bay.

The 663-foot Manitoulin had just dropped off a load of wheat and sought to return to Sarnia, Ontario, when it became snagged just before noon Wednesday in the frozen water, unable to continue moving forward.

Some reports indicate the ice around the Manitoulin is five feet thick. Winds are not favorable right now to help the situation. It’s unclear how long it might take to free the ship, the Coast Guard said. The lake ice this year, officials added, appears to be much thicker than in the past, and there are few signs that it will soon thaw.

Official said that the 17 crew members aboard the vessel has enough fuel, food and electricity. They are all in good health, and there were no concerns for their safety or wellbeing.

It is common during this time of year for freighters to get stuck, especially with cold temperatures that have been fluctuating between 15 degrees and 1 degree below zero, the Coast Guard added.

Another vessel, Algoma Bear, is anchored across the lake near Long Point waiting to go into Buffalo once the Manitoulin is freed.

Algoma Discovery getting a refit in Quebec

FROM FACEBOOK: The Algoma Discovery will be at our Les Mechins, QC, shipyard for a period of 5 to 6 weeks. This vessel, which is 222 meters long and with a loading capacity of 37,911 tons / 45,615m3 will be under the good care of our teams where mechanical and steel replacement work will be carried out.

Groupe Océan

Konecranes lands $15M adjustment to US Navy contract.

MANITOWOC – Konecranes Nuclear Equipment and Services — which partners with Broadwind Heavy Fabrications to produce cranes — recently was awarded a $15 million adjustment to a U.S. Navy contract valued at $244 million, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

The new contract calls for 175-ton cranes to be completed in New Berlin, Wisconsin, before September 2028. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command in Norfolk, Virginia, contracted the work. 

Finnish company Konecranes has supplied and serviced lifting equipment for the nuclear industry for more than 50 years and has around 16,700 employees in more than 50 countries. It has around 600 workers at its New Berlin facility and 30 at its Manitowoc site.

The company also works closely with Manitowoc-based Broadwind, which makes components for some cranes as part of Konecrane’s Navy contract.

That partnership includes “Big Blue,” the giant blue crane manufactured in the heart of Manitowoc in 2021. The crane became a social media sensation with fans following her journey by barge from Manitowoc to the U.S. East Coast.

Currently, two cranes, around 200 feet tall, are completed and waiting at the Broadwind site waiting for warmer weather to make their own journeys. These cranes can lift 157 tons, compared with Big Blue’s 140-ton capacity. These machines weight more than 2 million pounds.

The new cranes also will travel to Naval shipyards via barge, but this time to the Pacific Ocean. One will go to Washington state and Hawaii.

Herald-Times Reporter

 REVISED: U.S.-Flag Cargo Movement on Lakes Down 3.9 Percent in 2024

This is a revision to the report sent 1/21/25

CLEVELAND – U.S.-flag Great Lakes freighters (lakers) moved 78.2 million tons of cargo in 2024, a decrease of 3.9 percent compared to 2023. The 2024 float was 2.1 percent below the fleet’s 5-year average.

Compared to 2023, salt shipments increased by 5.8 percent while sand shipments increased by 15.2 percent. Iron ore shipments totaled 43.9 million tons, a 3.6 percent increase from the prior year. Grain cargos decreased by less than one percent to 312,345 tons. Coal cargos were down 12.7 percent to 7.3 million tons. Limestone shipments declined by 14.5 percent to 21.1 million tons and cement shipments dipped by 6.3 percent to 3.5 million tons.

See Chart in Gallery below: